Design forming device



Nov. 18, 1958 w. c. BATES DESIGN FORMING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1955 INV EN TOR. Cfiifi BY F9411 rm gether so that the design will United States Patent Office 2,860,399 Patented Nov. 18, 19758 DESIGN FORMING DEVICE Wells C. Bates, Chester, Conn., assignor to C. J. Bates & Son, Chester, Conn., a firm Application June 20, 1955, Serial No. 516,645 1 Claim. (Cl. 28-15) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices to aid in the fabrication of petal-like, flower, rosette-like or other designsformed by weaving, winding, or otherwise threading yarns, wool, thread, or similar strand material and is directed more particularly to the provision of an .improved forming disc and related com ponent parts for the formation of representations of flowers, such as daisies, formed of radial loops gathered at the center.

Woven patterns are employed as designs on sweaters,

dresses, and the like, and more frequently are sewn or crocheted togetherto' form bedcovers, pillow covers, and

the like. Such articles are generallymade by hand. The

individual forming these designs is usually desirous of being able to make a variety of such petals or flowers, oftentimes of different sizes and shapes.

The invention contemplates the employment of two basic components, a -flat formingplate or disc and a sleeve carrying a plurality of fingers which extend out beyond the peripheral edge of the forming disc. The petal design is formed by winding the yarn over the upper surface of the disc and around the extending fingers.

In known prior art devices, after the design has been wound upon the device, the materialbeing employed extends tightly over the forming disc and onto and around the fingers. Before the woven design is removed from the device, the center portion thereof is usually sewn toretain its shape after removal from the device. This is accomplished by weaving or sew-ing additional thread or yarn at the center of the design with the aid of a needle. The needle-is threaded under the central portion of the design and between it and the forming disc. With the petal design formed on the disc, it usually has been diflicult for the user to thread the needle under the central portion of the design so as to accomplish this sewing operation.

It is one of the principal objects of my invention'to provide a novel. and improved construction of the type in which the threading of the weaving needle around the central portion of the design for the purpose of sewing the center of the design together is facilitated.

It is another of the principal objects of the invention to provide means enabling a single device to be employed for the formation of designs of a variety of sizes which will eliminate the now present objectionable inconveniences and which will operate with a maximum of ease and with a minimum degree of effort.

One of the primary purposes of my invention is to provide structural and operational improvement in devices of the class to which reference has been made, which improvements simplify the structure as such and offer advantages in strength and durability and the like.

Other prime objects of my invention include; first, the securement of a higher degree of accuracy and greater degree of variety in the manner of work performed therewith than has heretofore been possible with prior devices-known inthe art; second, the attainment'of a higher speed of construction and assembly of the device due to its simplification of design and its unique composition of parts; third, the attainment of a flexibility or a capability of adjustment by which a large variety of work can be produced by means of the same device; fourth, the provision of an improved device which may be readily installed with respect to the various purposes for which it is intended, and fifth, the provision of such other improvements in and relating to devices of the type above referred to as are hereinafter described and claimed.

These and other objects of thi invention are attained in a specific embodiment thereof comprising a stem which is fixed at one end thereof to a forming disc. The forming disc is provided with an annular rib to allow the needle readily to be woven through and around an existing floral pattern or part thereof so as to enable the design to retain its form after removal from the device.

Slidably located on the stem is a hollow sleeve having a plurality of forming fingers fixed to one end thereof and a small disc fixed to the other end thereof. The fingers are of suflicient length so as to extend beyond the edge of the forming disc when the sleeve is positioned at the top of the sleeve adjacent the forming discs. Thus it is a feature of this invention that the device comprises only two different parts: a sleeve and forming fingers, and a plurality of forming discs interchangeably employed with said sleeve.

With the above primary objects in view, it is still another object of my invention to provide a construction of the above described character in which the number of operating parts is greatly reduced and which is compact in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers and purchasers alike and which is not only distinctive in its appearance and practical in its value but also reliable in its operation and efficient in its use.

It will however be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the prin-' ciples of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have presented but one physical embodiment of my invention which is deemed preferable, but is for purposes of illustration only. It is to be understood that the invention is susceptible for incorporation in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the claims hereof and that changes may be made in various respects and within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the broad aspects and spirit of the invention.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features hereinafter set forth. With the foregoing and various other and ancillary features of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain features of novelty, in a mode of operation, and in the combination, organization, and arrangement of parts as larly to the preferred form of my invention selected forillustrative purposes, I have shown a specific illustrative.

embodiment which comprises a stem 10, a forming disc 12, and a sleeve member 14.

The stem has an elongated lower free end portion which is of such dimensions as to prevent the sleeve 14 from sliding off the lower end thereof. The surface of the stem 10. is smooth so asto rest easily and comfortably on the users finger when the device is in use. The stem 10, which may be a hollow shaft or metal tube 50 as to reduce the overall. weight of the device, has an upper end portion which is fitted through the disc member 12 centrally thereof as shown so as to rigidly position the forming disc ontothe stem.

The sleeve member 14 is free .to slide on the stem 10 between the forming disc 12 and the lower end of the stem. Attached to the upper end of the sleeve member 14 is a finger plate 18 having petal or design forming fingers 16. formed integrally therewith. These fingers are of a flexible and resilient material such as a thin sheet of a metal, or cellulose acetate,. or similar well known material. At the lower end of the sleeve 14 is a small disc 20.

The sleeve member 14 is headed over at 15 and 17 so as to secure the members 18 and 20 respectively thereto,

The distance between the finger plate 18 and the disc 20 along the sleeve is sufficient to accommodate the users fingers. As the sleeve member 14 is free to slide along the stem 10, it may be readily removed therefrom.

Other forming discs 12' and 12" having stems 10 and 10" respectively and annular ribs 13' and 13" respectively are provided which have different diameters so as to distinguish in size over disc 12.

When the design forming device is to be used, a forming disc 12 or 12 or 12? of the proper size for the design to be fabricated is chosen together with the sleeve member 14 having the finger plate 18 and fingers 16 which will extend slightly beyond the periphery of the disc used. The sleeve 14 is slipped onto the stem 10 or 10' or 10" to complete theassembly of the device.

The thumb and forefinger of the users left hand hold the portion of the sleeve 14 between the finger plate 18 and the disc 20, and the forming disc 12 is allowed to rest directly on top of the finger plate 18 so that the fingers 16 are directly adjacent the forming disc 12. Thus the fingers 16 are essentially in the same plane as the forming disc 12 and may be considered, for present purposes, as mere extensions of the forming disc itself, as best shown in Fig. 1.

The user can now wind or thread the desired pattern around the extending fingers 16 in the usual way well known in the art. This will generally comprise hand winding strands of the material being woven across the.

disc 12 or 12' or 12", as radially from a finger to a more tightly wound section at the center of the disc, diagonally across the disc, and also threading the material circumferentially between the fingers.

While the weaving of the design itself is done by hand, without employing a needle or similar element, when the flower or petal design is finished, it is customary to sew the central portion of the design together by means of a needle to enable the design to retain its distinctive shape and appearance after it is removed from the device. Because of the annular bead 13 on the upper surface of the forming disc 12, or 12 or 12", the threading of the needle, not shown, over the surface of the .disc at this detail, in which 4. point and around the woven design is greatly facilitated even though at the center of the disc the design is the thickest. In prior devices, the passage of a needle under the design and between the design and the surface of the disc to sew the center of the design together has been exceedingly difficult for the user, and especially so in the case of very small sizes of designs. The surface is thus formed so as to be provided with a space at the center of the disc to facilitate the passage of the needle under the design thereat.

When the design has been completed and sewn together, the finished flower can readily be removed by pushing the stem 10 up through the sleeve 14. This withdraws the flexible fingers 16 from the design, which then can easily fall free of the forming device.

If it is thereafter desired to form a design of different size, the first used forming disc may be removed and a different size disc 12 or 12' or 12 may be employed. The fingers 16 should extend beyond the periphery of the forming disc by at least a quarter inch so as to enable them to hold in place the yarn that is wound around them by the user. The size forming disc that may be employed with a particular set of fingers 16 is therefore determined, at one extreme, by the length of the fingers themselves, and at the other extreme by the diameter of the finger plate 18 to which the fingers 16 are integrally attached.

In one specific embodiment of this invention in which the distance between the tipsof diametrically opposed fingers 16 was 2 inches and the diameter of the finger plate 18 was approximately 1 inch, three forming plates 12, 12 and 12'. were attached to stems 10, 10' and 10" respectively. The forming plates were 1 inch, 1 /2 inch and 2 inches in diameter, enabling the user easily to weave three pattern designs of different sizes.

It is therefore apparent that a person utilizing a design forming device in accordance with this invention can be given one device which includes a plurality of forming discs of different sizes in combination with the sleeve with finger plate fixed thereto.

It is to be understood, that, if desired, further forming discs of still other diameters can be provided for employment in the practice of this invention.

It is to be further understood that each such forming disc 12 or 12 or 12" is provided with the annular bead 13 or 13' or 13" respectively so as tofacilitate the passage of needle under the central portion of the design after the basic floral or petal pattern has been woven onto the respective forming disc and extending fingers 16 of the sleeve 14.

While I have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in a specific arrangement, I do not intend to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit .of theinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applyin'g current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claim below.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A device for forming designs comprising in combination, an upper circular form disc having an upper face, an elongated stem having an upper end secured to the form disc centrally thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, a sleeve freelyrotatable and reciprocable on saidstem between upper position therealon'g and removal therefrom, an upper finger plate secured to the upper end of said sleeve for underlying theform disc in upper position of thesleeve on the .stem and .being.proyided.-.-..

provide a lower free end below the sleeve for engagement by the fingers of a hand of a user of the device when the sleeve is in upper position on said stem and to permit removal of the sleeve from said stem, and the upper form disc provided on the upper face thereof with an annular raised rib adjacent the periphery of the disc for spacing design forming material from said fingers above said upper face to facilitate insertion of an implement 5 beneath said material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cottrell Aug. 20, 1935 2,093,828 Carlson Sept. 21, 1937 

